Microsoft Calculator Plus

In traipsing around Microsoft.com, I stumbled across what I believed was the Calculator PowerToy – a nice upgrade to the calculator that ships with Windows. Turns out, Microsoft Calculator Plus is an entirely new calculator (which sadly looks better in “Classic View” than in the default skin). Give Calculator Plus a try and you’ll wonder why they’re not shipping this version with Vista. At least, Calculator Plus not in Windows Vista Beta 2. This makes absolutely no sense to me. Microsoft (itself) already has an infinitely better version of a calculator available for free download on their site, yet they’re not including it (yet?) in Windows Vista. Why!? Are they afraid the DOJ is going to come after them for cornering the desktop calculator market? “Calculator Plus offers conversions between different measurement units for area, temperature, volume and more. It also includes all the mathematical functions offered in Microsoft Calculator.” Finally!